


Stranded

by The_Inheritor



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angara have immunity (sort of) to extreme temperatures, M/M, Sara is a part of the Pathfinder Team, stranded in the snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28512768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Inheritor/pseuds/The_Inheritor
Summary: The Pathfinder team finds themselves stranded on Voeld during a snowstorm.
Relationships: Jaal Ama Darav/Male Ryder | Scott
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	Stranded

**Author's Note:**

> First ME:A Story in some time...I hope that's it up to the standards of those posting rather more frequently than I.  
> I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year...we're not out of the darkness yet, but let's just say I can see some light forming on the horizon.  
> This was written by me, remember -- expect the usual errors, typos and word bugs. (Bzz.)  
> \---  
> If you enjoy this story, Goody!  
> Take care friends, Be well... I love you all (^.^)/

**STRANDED**

Well this could have gone better...

...No, really! It could have gone so much fucking better!

In all honesty there was already several warnings in place, both from SAM and the Resistance stating that storms were coming through and that the likelihood of being snowed in was high. That prior-knowledge however didn't make it any easier to deal with.

Scott had been through many trials since he arrived in Andromeda, but none compared to the cold that Voeld threw his way. Even after the Vault had been activated, the place was still fucking baltic, colder than most places he'd been back on Earth.

Most of the time if he just got his head down and focused on what they were doing there he could get through it most of the time, but right now...that wasn't possible. The Storm had come through allot sooner than they had anticipated, and now they were in the rather embarrassing position of being stranded until it passed over...and knowing the weather on this world that could be some time.

The NOMAD was somewhere out in that mess, winds fast enough to mess up any readings from his scanner and snow moving almost horizontally past the opening of the cave they'd taken shelter in. There was also the matter of the Kett, something that had been present on his mind since they had to stop.

From what he'd observed over his time here, the Kett weren't bothered by weather, so there was always the possibility that they could be discovered. Sara, who was with him when it hit, was almost certain if they couldn't make Comms with the Tempest, the Kett had no chance of locating them either.

Scott wasn't so sure. He'd been in worse situations than this only to find the enemy breathing down his neck. Though he did have to admit their efficiency had gone down since the Archon was put out of commission. They weren't as organized or prevalent across the cluster...meaning they were either thinning out, or all the Initiative's bets had paid off and they'd actually managed to beat them.

"Will you relax over there." Sara says, sitting by the far wall of the cave, her helmet on her knee. "He'll be fine."

"It's not that I'm worried about." Scott replies, as if by habit.

"Oh really?" he could practically feel the look she was firing him from behind. "Then enlighten me, what is it?"

"We've been in worse situations and experienced ambushes."

"Yeah." Sara agrees with him. She blows out a cloud of mist from her mouth as she huffs a sigh. "But I don't think even the Kett or the Roekaar could operate in that weather."

"Remnant could." Scott suggests.

"But there aren't any remnant structures nearby."

He shakes his head. "I don't feel safe just sitting out here, okay?"

"No." she stands up from where she's sitting and walks over to him. "You just can't relax until you know our Angaran team mate is safe and sound with us again."

"That's not-"

"-Oh don't lie to me." she bumps him on the shoulder with her left hand. "You've always been a worrier. Liam and Cora have told me."

"He's been out there for half an hour." Scott observes. "SAM can't find his transponder."

_["It is currently impossible for me to locate any radio signals through this storm, Pathfinder."]_ SAM says over their immediate comms. _["But I am almost certain that Jaal is alright. We would have heard about it if he wasn't."]_

"Yeah, he does have very loud gun." Sara says. "And voice...and personality...and everything else."

A moments silence. "Besides...you parked the NOMAD where you did."

"What?" Scott turns his head, his face obscured by the reflection of his helmets visor. "Are you saying-"

"-No." she laughs in response. "We couldn't get it up here, you left it where you should have. We just went pretty far on foot before we found this place."

_["I have done some scans of the immediate area inside the cave."]_ SAM adds. _["It appears that these are not natural in construction, meaning they were either mined out this way or blown up."]_

"There was a mining colony on Voeld." Scott says with a nod. "It's entirely possible we're in some old ore deposit site."

"Look!" Sara suddenly shouts, pointing at a movement out in the snow.

Scott reaches for his Lancer Rifle, picking it up and readying it for use. However he re-activates the safety on it when it only turns out to be Jaal returning to them. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Lost in the snow." Jaal says as he steps into the shelter of the cave, he was covered in snow, which clings to his roffjin and armor. "I did however manage to find the NOMAD...and this."

He lifts up a small portable heating unit, which although covered in snow much like himself, was just as sturdy and functional.

"I told you to make Comms with the Tempest, if you could."

"Give the man a minute." Sara says. "He must be freezing."

"I did make contact." Jaal says, moving into the center of the space and placing the unit down. Sara goes about getting it turned on, it doesn't take long before it lights up and begins to warm up. "She's grounded outside the Outpost...Kallo cannot move her until the winds die down."

"So we're stranded here." Scott seems to deflate slightly. "Perfect."

"Hey." Sara pulls off her glove and tests the warmth coming out of the heating unit. "At least you'll be warm. This thing works fine."

Scott takes in a deep breath, holding it for a second. He stares at Jaal through his visor. "Good work."

"I wouldn't offer you anything else, Pathfinder." Jaal smirks. He looked rather strange with all the snow on one side of his face. Fortunately that isn't much a discomfort for him, as Angara don't suffer much from temperature like their milky way counterparts do. "...you should get some warmth while you can. I can keep watch for now."

"I get the feeling if I try to argue, you'll go all motherly on me." Scott hums thoughtfully. "Okay. But we'll take it in turns."

...

** THE NEXT MORNING **

Scott's expectations of spending the whole night in a cave under siege from a blizzard weren't entirely inaccurate. He was absolutely miserable...but it could be far worse. If Jaal hadn't brought back that heating unit it would have been entirely unbearable. It was cold, but thanks to him it wasn't freezing.

With a rushed intake of breath, he opens his eyes. Things were allot brighter outside as the Voeld Morning was finally dawning upon them. The Heating Unit which was in front of him was still running, the ice on the ground where it had been place had evaporated into Nitrogen gas long ago, exposing the bare rock beneath.

He lifts his head, which had been leaning against Jaal's left shoulder. The Angara in question was sitting next to him, currently looking over his rifle "Ah, you're awake."

"It's morning." Scott looks towards the entrance of the cave, his left hand coming up and rubbing at his face. Everything was much calmer outside. "The storms passed over."

"There's still some stray winds blowing through every now and then." Jaal explains. "Sara is on her way to the NOMAD, she's going to contact the Tempest for extraction then bring it over here to collect us."

"When did she leave?"

"About 10 minutes ago."

"You should have woken me, I'd have been able to do that." Scott rubs at his eyes after saying that, they still stung like they always did after he woke up. It was like no matter how long he slept, he still felt tired. The curse of being a Pathfinder. 

"She decided that you needed the rest." Jaal says next. "I agreed with her."

"You agreed with her?" Scott gives him a look. "Or you both decided mutually that you weren't going to to wake me?"

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Not with you two it isn't." Scott let's out a snort, which turns to a yawn half-way. "Ugh...this place is driving me crazy. The sooner we're back on the Tempest the better."

"We are headed to Havarl next, yes?" Jaal asks.

"Yes..." Scott says, seeming to lighten up as he remembers. "Yes, we are."

"Perhaps when we get there you and I can...relax a little." 

"You Angrara aren't subtle with your suggestions are you?" Scott shakes his head.

"It's your choice. We could always-"

"-I didn't say no." Scott looks his way again. 

"Then it's decided." Jaal grins. "Once you've managed to pry yourself away from my family and my mothers, we can spend some time together...would be nice."

"I could use a vacation after this." Scott let's his head drop back against his shoulder. "If it's not this ice-cube, it's being fried on Elaaden. I wish us humans had your ability to regulate temperature."

"You may think it's easier for Angara..." Jaal thinks for a moment, shrugging. "And truth be told it is...but we still feel it like you do. It's just...less of a problem for us."

"I wonder what you think of us sometimes."

"I think you are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to this place." is of course the immediate response. "And I'm not just talking about you, Scott...I mean humanity as a species. You brought so much to Heleus that was all but absent before, and it's only a shame that we didn't embrace it sooner."

"SAM? Do me a favor and record that to our archives." Scott let's out a quiet laugh. "I want to have that on standby next time he yells at me for being  _ a  _ _ stubborn primate. _ "

"Ugh." Jaal shakes his head. "It happens once and you won't let me live it down."

"Your insults are fucking amazing." Scott snorts again. "I'm not complaining about them. Just call this an insurance policy for next time."

...

** A FEW HOURS LATER | ABOARD THE TEMPEST **

"Christ...you three look like you've seen better days." Gil watches the Pathfinder, his sister and his taoshay walk up the ramp. "If that stubble is from a night in a cave, what's the weather done to my NOMAD?"

"Left wheel axle is slightly sticky." Scott says. "Though I'm almost certain it was Sara's driving that did that."

"Oh you are so in for it when I get out of this gear." Sara huffs a laugh. "I'll have you know I drove and parked that thing perfectly. Because unlike you dear brother, I know what it's like to have this one coming at me like a raved bulldog."

"I thought I was a border collie?" Gil tilts his head, only to grunt when she pinches his left side. "Ow! What was that for?"

"NOMAD's outside." Sara says with her usual smirk, something that Jaal was almost certain ran in the family. "I call dibs on the first shower!"

"Oh you little bitch!" Scott suddenly thrusts his Lancer rifle into Jaal's hands and chases after her. "I don't think so!"

"You have one in your room! What are you in a rush for?" Sara calls back to him.

"Because I know that's the one you're going to use." Scott says, scuffling with her as they reach the airlock which takes a second to open. "It's bigger than the crew shower."

"All the more space for dancing."

"You are not using my shower first!"

"Yes I am."

"No you're not, it's my ship-"

Their voices are cut off as the door closes over, sealing shut. 

"You wouldn't have known they were related, would you?" Gil says, shaking his head. "I hope they didn't give you too much trouble, big guy."

"It's more entertaining than it is annoying." Jaal says, looking at Scott's rifle before placing it under his left arm with his sniper and heading over to the airlock. "...I better go and check on them, one of them is going to be very annoyed when they don't get to it first."

"So long as neither of them end up in the med-bay..." Gil calls to him, receiving only a laugh in return. He makes his way down the ramp to where the NOMAD had been parked. "...bloody hell it's cold out here."

...

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot how much I love Scott and Jaal as a ship...it was fun writing this.  
> \---  
> See you in the next one (^.^)


End file.
